Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook time: 45 min- 1 hour ; serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb. reg. cooking onions (peeled, sliced thinly)
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1c. red wine
5 c. beef broth
1 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. Better than Bouillon beef base
1 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. flour
Topping
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
French bread 8 slices (1/2 inch slices)
1c. Italian blend shredded cheese
Directions:
In a large saucepan on medium heat, add 1 tbsp. butter and 3 tbsp. olive oil to a the pan.
Add the sliced onions, salt and pepper
Add finely chopped garlic cloves, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and incorporate well into the onions.
render down for a good 30 minutes until they are soft and translucent.
Add the 2 tbsp. flour to the onions, stir well and make sure it’s all blended together.
Add the red wine, and stir vigorously then add the beef broth and stir with a large whisk to make sure all the lumps are out.
Add the bay leaves and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme. (you can fish out the stalks before serving).
Allow the soup to cook on medium heat for a good 10-15 minutes.
Add the Better than Bouillon Beef Base or 2 beef cubes for good flavor along with a tbsp. of honey.
Allow to cook on medium heat, as it starts to thicken up and gets darker in color you can just go to med-lo and let simmer.
The longer it cooks the darker and more tasteful it becomes. This is a soup you can cook low and slow or if you’re in a hurry 25min. to 30 minutes.
This would also be great in a slow cooker!
Topping
While your soup is finishing off; cut 6 pieces of French bread, rub each piece with a fresh piece of garlic cut in half, then top with the cheese. Pop in a heated oven at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Spoon the soup into your bowls.
When the cheesy toast is nice and melty add 2 pieces to to each soup dish, overtop of the soup. Then add a little more cheese to melt into the hot onion soup.
Add a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves over top of the cheesy bread.
All that is left is to enjoy with a glass of red!
I used a mixture of a shredded Italian blend and an aged Swiss cheese. I love going to the cheese counter at our local Whole Foods Market, they have a wonderful variety of cheeses and are very knowledgeable on their products. I wanted something with a little tanginess and punch to it, as well as some mixed Italian blended cheese.
I used an aged swiss cheese which really added a great creamy taste to the rest of the dish. But you can use any cheese that you want.
I used to make this when we were a young married couple. I haven’t made this in years, but to me it is like riding a bike. You never forget!
Enjoy!!
Feedback is always good!
If you ever have any questions for this recipe and others, please email me at thetarnishedapple@gmail.com
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